![]() Muse was charged with conspiracy in relation to many of the crimes to which he eventually pled guilty as a result of his role in the true life drama “Captain Phillips.”Ĭonspiracy requires two or more persons acting together to plan to commit a crime. Conspiracy to Commit an Offense (18 U.S.C. The Somali pirate depicted in “Captain Phillips” was lucky to escape this drastic consequence by pleading guilty to kidnapping in exchange for having the piracy charge dropped. However, the law is still enforceable and carries a mandatory life sentence without parole. Piracy under the law of nations has rarely ever been charged in the history of the United States. Pirates target ships and cargo, but threaten international commerce and human life.” Attorney’s Office, “an act of piracy against one nation is a crime against all nations. Pursuant to Section 1651, “whoever, on the high seas, commits the crime of piracy as defined by the law of nations, and is afterwards brought into or found in the United States, shall be imprisoned for life.”Īccording to the U.S. § 1651)įederal piracy law is governed under Chapter 81 of United States Code. Let’s take a brief look at his charges, and the consequences you would face if you were convicted of committing the same crimes… Piracy under the Law of Nations (18 U.S.C. 16, 2011, Abduwali Muse was sentenced to 33 years in federal prison. District Court on charges including piracy under the law of nations, conspiracy to seize a ship by force, conspiracy to commit hostage-taking and related firearms charges. The FBI brought the Somali pirate leader back to New York to face trial in U.S. The sole survivor, their 18-year-old leader named Abduwali Muse, had been persuaded onto a Navy warship to negotiate for Phillips’ release and was eventually arrested. The Navy killed all but one of the four pirates involved. Navy’s successful rescue effort that followed were the true life inspiration for the Academy Award-nominated feature film “Captain Phillips,” starring Tom Hanks. The Maersk Alabama hijacking and the U.S. It was the first successful pirate seizure of a ship registered under the American flag since the early 19th century. In 2009, the MV Maersk Alabama, a United States vessel, was hijacked in international waters by four Somali pirates hundreds of miles off the coast of Africa. Sounds like a sensational movie plot, doesn’t it? It is…especially since it really happened. The crimes depicted in Captain Phillips were based on real-life events. They demand millions in ransom and threaten to kill everyone on board. Foreign gunmen fire automatic weapons at you as they commandeer the vessel, taking you and your crew members hostage. Suddenly, on the horizon, you spot two skiffs rapidly approaching your ship. Imagine yourself as the captain of a commercial cargo ship, transporting emergency food aid to starving Africans across international waters. In Washington, President Barack Obama on Monday said Phillips' "safety has been our principal concern.Piracy on the High Seas: True Crimes Depicted in “Captain Phillips” She said she is proud of her husband and thanks everyone for giving her "the strength to be strong for Richard." She said the hardest part for her was not knowing what her husband was enduring. Richard Phillips' rescue caused his crew in Kenya to break into wild cheers and brought tears to the eyes of those in Phillips' hometown of Underhill, Vt., half a world away from the Indian Ocean drama.Ī statement from Phillips' wife Andrea was read at a news conference in Vermont on Monday. "From now on, if we capture foreign ships and their respective countries try to attack us, we will kill them (the hostages)," Jamac Habeb, a 30-year-old pirate, told the Associated Press from one of Somalia's piracy hubs, Eyl. Those threats raised fears for the safety of some 230 foreign sailors still held hostage in more than a dozen ships anchored off the coast of lawless Somalia. ![]()
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